


"Love You, Too, Kid."

by RainbowMatildas



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Godfather Sirius Black, Harry's Fourth Year, Triwizard Tournament
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 17:06:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7722760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowMatildas/pseuds/RainbowMatildas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having a godfather is pretty great, Harry thinks. Even if he's an escaped convict on the run from the Aurors, Sirius is family. So Harry doesn't think much of it, signing his latest letter "Love you!" Sirius, on the other hand...</p><p>[Inspired by a very cute headcanon I came across on Tumblr about Harry and Sirius's letters while Sirius was on the run- check notes for details!]</p>
            </blockquote>





	"Love You, Too, Kid."

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by [this](http://sunnyxdraco.tumblr.com/post/146408539398/some-point-during-harrys-fourth-year-i-imagine) lovely headcanon by sunnyxdraco on Tumblr. They've got an awesome blog that I recommend you check out! Enjoy :)

The weather wasn’t usually this bad. True, the U.K. had never been known for having the sunniest, most cheerful of climates, but never in his more than three years at Hogwarts had Harry seen a thunderstorm last so long. Rain lashed against the windows. The wind howled and roared like a dragon ready to charge. It’d started during the night, and that morning during breakfast, the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall had changed to show to huge, gray storm clouds in the sky. It was so dark, in fact, that Professor McGonagall had had to light the floating candles normally used for dinner every evening.

Harry, no matter the weather outside, typically enjoyed the majority of his classes, but his timetable for today was downright horrendous. He’d never had double Potions, Divination, and History of Magic with dull, old Professor Binns all in one day before.

And yet, here he was, two-thirds done with his day and shivering in a freezing cold classroom while Binns droned on and on about goblin rebellions in 1482. Binns was apparently oblivious to the expressions of overwhelming boredom on his students’ faces. Harry looked around at his classmates. Neville had his head down on his desk. Ron was slumped over in his chair, snoring loudly. Even Hermione was yawning and struggling to pay attention.

Harry looked down at his blank parchment. He should be taking notes, he knew, but it wasn’t as if History of Magic was a particularly difficult class. The homework was tedious, yes, the lectures long and boring, but Harry decided his marks were high enough. With thunder crashing just outside the castle walls, Ron snoring beside him, and Binns’s endless dry monotone, he figured he wasn’t likely to remember any of it, regardless of whatever notes he took.

So – unable to think of anything else worth doing – he glanced around to check that the coast was clear, then pulled out his quill to start a letter to Sirius.

 _Dear Sirius,_ he began, the quill scratching against the parchment.

_Thanks for the advice. Ron and Hermione have (finally) made up, though I’m not sure how long it’ll last. Probably best to give them some space and not bring it up again, I suppose. (Things have been a bit rocky with them ever since the whole ‘your cat ate my rat’ fiasco of 1993.)_

_The weather here is awful. I’ve never seen anything like it! Ron doesn’t like it since it means we can’t play Quidditch, and I think the thunder frightens Hermione a little bit, but I like it. The castle’s big enough that there’s always somewhere new to explore, and living with the Dursleys has made me appreciate staying inside (where I don’t have to pull up weeds or mow the lawn). I hope it’s nice where you are, at least. After Azkaban, I suppose any bit of sun is pretty great, huh?  
_

_I should go take some notes for Binns – Hermione’s been shooting me dirty looks for a while now. Stay safe, and don’t risk your neck doing anything dumb. Hope all is well, love you!_

_-Harry_

Harry finished his signature with a flick of his quill and nodded happily as he folded the parchment. Deciding to go to the Owlery to send it off with Hedwig before lunch, he stuck it in his bag and reluctantly tuned back in to the mind-numbingly dull lesson.

* * *

Sirius shivered and pulled the ratty, threadbare blanket tighter around his shoulders. It had begun to rain the day before, and hadn’t stopped since. It showed no signs of slowing down any time soon, either, and the temperature had steadily decreased to the point where Sirius could see his breath in the chill, damp cave he’d recently taken refuge in.

His stomach growled. He was considering whether a quick rummage through the nearby pub’s bins would be too risky when suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by a large, magnificent owl swooping into the cave.

Sirius brightened at the sight of Hedwig. He knew he should tell Harry to use different owls to avoid raising any suspicions, but he had grown fond of the handsome snowy owl. It was his one link to his godson, and every letter Hedwig brought him could make him forget the hunger clawing at his empty stomach and the numbingly cold air burning his skin.

Hedwig landed next to him with a friendly hoot of greeting. Sirius smiled and gave her a few grateful strokes before untying the parchment on her leg. “Sorry, girl. I wish I had some owl treats for you,” he whispered apologetically as he unrolled the parchment.

Sirius read through Harry’s letter once, twice. He laughed at hearing of Ron and Hermione’s latest spat, rolled his eyes at Hermione’s ‘dirty looks’ – _yep, she’s practically Moony_ – and smiled at Harry’s concern for him to stay safe. But it was the last line of Harry’s letter that made his breath catch in his throat and tears spring to his eyes.

_Hope all is well, love you!_

Sirius read and re-read the words a dozen times.

“Love you,” he repeated out loud, his voice hoarse and croaky from lack of use. Harry loved him?

Sirius had known Harry since the day he was born. He’d been the third person to ever hold him. He’d babysat him countless times, had told him dozens of stories about Hogwarts, being an Auror, the Order, and more. For a while, not even James or Lily could get Harry to sleep – only Sirius could. He was Uncle Padfoot, and it was a job he loved more than anything. He loved Harry more than anything.

But that had all gone up in flames one fateful Halloween night, and Harry didn’t remember any of what Sirius did. But here… this letter… he really did love him, and Sirius grinned for the first time in many years.

Harry loved him. Just like his parents always had… just like Sirius’s parents never had. Harry was Sirius’s family, simple as that, and Sirius was ecstatic to know that he was Harry’s.

Sirius leaned over to his meager pile of possessions and grabbed a spare bit of parchment. He had managed to find an unbroken quill earlier in the week, and now he began his reply to Harry, a smile on his face.

* * *

“The rain finally stopped!” Ron exclaimed, thumping Harry on the back as they walked into the Great Hall for breakfast. “Fancy a game of Quidditch after classes? I bet Fred and George will play.”

Harry grinned and took a seat at the Gryffindor table. “Yeah, definitely! Let’s ask Ginny and Hermione, too,” he suggested, taking a piece of toast from the large gold platter.

Ron, his mouth already stuffed full of egg sandwich, snorted. “Fee’s n’t gunna w’nt ta play,” he rolled his eyes.

Before Harry could think of a retort, Hermione slid into the seat next to his and began pouring herself a cup of pumpkin juice. “Morning!”

“Morning,” Harry said. “Say, Hermione, you wanna play some Quidditch after classes today? Ron, and Ginny, and the twins are going, too.”

She bit her lip, looking uncertain, and Ron fixed Harry with his best ‘I told you so’ face. Harry ignored him. “Come on, ‘Mione, the sun’s finally out! You can even take a spin on the Firebolt if you want,” he offered.

Hermione finally smiled and nodded. “Okay. Sounds fun,” she said. Ron’s groan was muffled by the sudden tremendous flapping of wings as the morning post soared into the Great Hall. Dozens of owls dropped parcels and envelopes to students and teachers, as well as many issues of the Daily Prophet. As Hermione put a Knut into the pouch of the owl delivering her paper, Harry was surprised to see Hedwig swoop in, as well.

“Snuffles,” he muttered at Ron and Hermione’s confused expressions. Hedwig landed on the pitcher of juice and hooted snootily. Harry laughed and handed her a sliver of toast. “You’ve had a long journey, haven’t you?” He said, petting her white speckled wing. “Thanks for the letter.”

As Harry untied Sirius’s reply from Hedwig’s leg, he noticed Hermione watching him with a concerned look.

“What’s happened?” She whispered worriedly.

Harry frowned. “Uh, nothing, I think,” he asked, glancing between her and Ron. “How come?”

“Why’d you write to Sirius, I mean,” she pressed.

Harry laughed a little bit. “I don’t need a reason. I just felt like it.” He unrolled the parchment and read it.

_Dear Harry,_

_I think Ron and Hermione could do with some space, that’s for sure. But don’t worry too much about them – friends fight. It’s perfectly normal. They’re lucky to have a friend like you, though, to worry about them._

_I’m closer than you might think. This storm is never going to let up, is it? I haven’t been able to go out and rummage for food all day for fear of getting struck by lightning. Don’t be like me and your dad when we were your age. The number of times we snuck out in storms like this to play Quidditch – we’re lucky we weren’t dead at fourteen! No, stay inside the castle and… I dunno, do some homework? (I feel like I need to channel my inner-Lily sometimes.) Moony told me he gave you the Map before he left – go explore, and watch out for Snivellus!_

_(Don’t worry about me so much, by the way. No one pays any mind to a big, lovable stray, anyway. I’m not as reckless as I used to be – I’ll be fine.)_

_Eat some fruit, brush your teeth, read a book, go to class, write an essay… I’m great at impersonating your mum, you know. Are you getting your proper eight hours of sleep? Have fun with your friends, and write soon. Love you, too, kid._

There was no signature, but instead a large black paw print. Harry grinned. He folded the letter and stuck it inside his robes to read again later.

Having a godfather was pretty great.


End file.
